Reference may be made to the following U.S. Patents of interest: Nos. 3,798,799; 3,848,374; 3,882,561; and 4,083,127, all assigned to the same assignee as herein.
Many ski boots presently available comprise a substantially rigid outer shell generally made of a plastic material. A liner member is normally disposed within the shell and serves as a cushion between the shell and the foot of a skier. Generally, it is desired to have the ski boot and its components adapted to surround and be contoured to custom-fit the wearer's foot. In such cases, the boot is to provide a support function for the wearer's foot and ankle and enable firm contact to be obtained between the foot and the boot. Reference may be made to the aforementioned Patent Nos. 3,798,799 and 3,882,561 wherein the custom fitting operation is disclosed.
Because of the relatively stiff plastic materials utilized in ski boot shells, the shell of the boot is substantially rigid and includes a rear entry opening in the shell for inserting and removing one's foot. After the skier inserts his foot into the shell, the shell opening is suitably tightened around the wearer's lower leg and ankle area by means of one or more adjustably positioned releasable latches.
It is now desired to provide means for adjusting the rear, lower boot portion of the shell in the area of the heel to conform to the wear's heel width size.